Camera Obscura
by Hope Meijer
Summary: The first picture taken by DG was of a certain stoic Tin Man looking for all the world as if he were about to be shot by the strange box aimed at him. Cain/DG
1. Part I

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CAMERA OBSCURA

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She'd been sitting sketching the view from the Finaqua gazebo on a calm, still day, Cain sat a couple of feet from her, when a soft rumble in the distance caused them both to look over to their left. The sky had suddenly darkened, and DG sighed, knowing she wouldn't have long to do whatever she could to fill in the details of her sketch before they'd have to go back to the palace.

"Better finish up, Princess. It looks like it's heading this way fast," Cain spoke up. He sounded reluctant to interrupt the peace that had settled over the two of them, and DG allowed a small smile to grace her lips, knowing he appreciated the times they spent in companionable silence, away from the bustle of palace life, more than he let on.

"Just five more minutes, Cain."

Cain narrowed his eyes at the sky, calculating. "Three, and it's a deal."

She chuckled, her charcoal making long sweeps across the page as she tried to capture the forms of the trees lining one side of the lake. Keeping an eye on the approaching storm, she added detail until she was satisfied she had the basics down on paper and could come back another time with paints.

Cain clearing his throat intruded her thoughts and she huffed, giving up. "That wasn't three minutes, Cain."

"Near enough," he shot back, sounding amused. "Come on, if we don't hurry we'll be caught in the rain."

She stood, allowing him to help her collect her art equipment and she shot another glance at the darkening sky when another rumble sounded, this time much closer. The rain was already visible about a mile away, blurring the sky and making the landscape look as if someone had taken a brush and smudged the colours. DG sighed softly. "I wish I had a camera."

Cain raised an eyebrow, catching her elbow in an attempt to hurry her as he started to move. "We'll have to run if we want to get back in time. Then you can wish all you like." He paused. "What's a camera?"

DG giggled and moved ahead of him, feeling the first light spots of rain. "Never mind!"

He started to press the question, wanting to know a little more about the Other Side, but the raindrops were getting heavier and falling more frequently. He grabbed DG's hand, twining their fingers together, and started to run towards the palace entrance. Her laughter mingled with the sound of the rain on the grass and foliage around them.

By the time they reached the palace, they were soaked through, breathless and laughing, the camera comment forgotten.

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"Sorry 'bout your drawing, Princess."

DG looked over her shoulder at the sound of Cain's voice, spotting the rumpled, black mess of the page she'd been working on down at the gazebo held lightly in his hand. She shrugged lightly. "Oh well. I'll just have to start another, I guess."

"DG talented. Should sell work," Raw commented as Cain set the sketchpad down on a low table and sat in one of the comfy chairs across from DG. She'd requested that one day a week she be allowed to do whatever she liked, and it had soon become a day for the four friends to take some time to talk, go out exploring or just sit and enjoy each other's company. When Glitch and Raw had to fulfil their advisory positions on one of those days, they always made sure they could spare some time in the evenings.

"I don't think so, Raw." She sent him a smile. "I'm not that good. Plus it takes me too long to paint one picture, let alone enough to sell." She glanced out the window at the rain, then down to the ruined drawing. "I just wish I could photograph the scenes and people so I can work on the pictures after I've left them. I'd do anything for a camera."

Cain looked up from watching Glitch and Raw's complicated game of Conquer – something DG had likened to a game called 'chess'. "You mentioned a camera before. What is it?"

She let the book she'd been reading snap shut in her lap and pulled a thoughtful face whilst she decided how to describe it. "It's a device for capturing images of things. A snapshot of a moment in time, preserved on paper."

"Oh, it sounds like a T.D.L.C.S.D.!" Glitch looked up from moving one of his game pieces across the board in front of him.

"What's that?"

"A Two-Dimensional Light Capture and Storage Device. I invented that, too." He beamed proudly at her, and the smile she sent back lit up her face.

"Really? Have you got one here?"

"I might have some components in my lab – we can put one together if you'd like?"

The delighted squeal she let out startled Raw enough to knock over his piece and almost send the board flying.

---

The lab usually looked like some sort of bomb had hit it – Glitch somehow knowing exactly where things were in amongst the mess – but this time it was beyond chaotic. When Cain had finished some paperwork for the Queen he'd headed up to Glitch's workspace, knowing DG and the reinstated advisor and inventor were working on this camera device. He'd been expecting some mess – after all, how can you invent without things to hand? – but the sight of two huddled figures in the middle of the floor, surrounded by chemicals, machinery and damaged-looking metal made him stop dead.

"What happened here?"

At the sound of his voice, DG looked up and a smile crept over her face. "Hi, Cain!"

He raised an eyebrow at the sight of her, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, revealing a face that was blackened with soot and Ozma-knew what else. "Are you all right?"

She paused, looking bemused. "We're fine, why?" Glitch looked up then, showing a face that was as black and dirty as his companion's, his teeth whiter than ever as he grinned and went back to work. Cain raised a hand and indicated at her face.

"You...ah...you have something on your face." He moved further into the room, noting that the soot spread out in a circle around the two. Apparently they or whatever they'd been working on was the source. DG grabbed a piece of broken mirror near her and scrutinised her reflection.

"Oh, that. Glitch put the wrong chemicals together, and they sort of reacted badly. No biggie." Cain rolled his eyes at that. A 'no biggie' from DG usually meant something extremely dangerous had happened and she'd come out unscathed. He'd prefer it if the 'no biggie' situation had been avoided in the first place.

"Just be careful." He reached out without thinking, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, rubbing his thumb through the soot on her face. She scrunched up her nose, watching him silently, one hand instinctively coming up to rest against his. Glitch, oblivious to the private moment, mumbled something and held a hand out in expectation, indicating DG needed to pass him a tool. The moment interrupted, she blushed and looked away, finding what the inventor needed. Cain cleared his throat and found a chair near them, pushing off the equipment and dusting it down before settling into it.

"I think we're nearly there, Doll!" Glitch stood suddenly, reached out and grabbed some chemicals, and started a complex series of measuring and mixing. Cain slid his chair back a few inches, checked for the edge of the soot and slid back a few more. Glitch didn't notice, and continued to prepare the chemicals for instant development, nodding to himself. "All right, I think we can test it now. We'll add the chemicals after, just to make sure."

Suddenly bouncy, DG picked up the large box-like tool and aimed the viewfinder at Cain.

The first picture taken by DG was of a certain stoic Tin Man looking for all the world as if he were about to be shot by the strange box aimed at him.

The second was of Glitch, who had fallen on his rear, laughing at the image of the first.

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**Author's Note**: This will be a two-parter, I just wanted to see the feedback for this part. Not particularly happy with it, but it's the first fic I've done for about 6 months and the plot bunny needed to be captured!


	2. Part II

_Author's Note: I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long. I hope this makes up for it, but I'm not 100% pleased with it._

* * *

CAMERA OBSCURA PART II

* * *

After much experimentation, DG and Glitch had developed a handy portable 'camera' that soon became the sought-after item of the palace, and the Queen went as far as to employ a palace photographer to document events for them. It was just in time for the Alliance Ball, where the nobles and leaders of the allied lands came together for a few days for meetings relating to how each land could improve their alliance with the others. It culminated with a large sit down dinner and ball after, and DG and Azkadellia were told they had to be present through most of the talks to learn diplomacy and what would be expected of them when dealing with the allies in the future.

DG currently stood the top of the staircase leading to the Grand Hall, twitching slightly as her dress moved against her and itched. She wanted to take a deep breath but the last time she'd done that during a fitting, the beading on the front of the delicate bodice had flown off and hit a maid, and the bodice itself had ripped in a southerly direction, revealing a little more cleavage than even DG thought appropriate.

Cain stood next to her, looking highly uncomfortable in his uniform, much like dress blues from the Other Side. She could tell he was resisting the urge to tug at his collar, buttoned up round his neck. She squeezed his arm and he glanced down at her, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "Ready?"

She rolled her eyes, smiled for the camera that was being wielded by the hovering photographer, and together they descended the stairs, hoping against hope neither would trip.

* * *

She hated balls, she really did. They were just an excuse for all the lords, ladies, dukes of the land to dress up in their finery and compete with each other for the favouritism of the monarchy through dances, outrageous costume and tall tales. Unfortunately for her, being part of the monarchy, she was required to admire the costumes, listen to the tall tales and dance with the nobles. Most of them would just bore her to tears, but there were the few that couldn't dance and half-way through the evening she found herself limping over to where Cain was sat with Azkadellia (who'd managed to decline most of the dances offered on the excuse of her health) and flopped next to them on the sofa-type furniture.

"Please tell me they make dancing shoes with steel-cap toes?"

Azkadellia giggled softly. "Why do you think I've been avoiding dancing most of the evening, little sister?"

DG groaned. "You could have told me this before I got my toes squashed flat! No one can dance here, and that's coming from someone who's had to have up to three lessons a day with Glitch to ensure I vaguely know all the Ozian dances."

Cain snorted. "I think your sister wanted to see how you'd fare against them."

"What?" DG was too tired to reach over and smack her sister, so she settled for a glare. "Traitor."

There were a few nobles eyeing the two sisters, and Cain could see they were trying to decide whether or not to ask for another dance. He sent a quelling look their way and they suddenly changed their minds and went off to find other young girls of noble blood to impress.

"Come on, Princess, let's go and show them how it's done." He turned his gaze to DG and she studied him for a moment.

"Are you joking? I'd be surprised if I can walk after tonight. I'll have to use crutches or something for the rest of my life!"

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." As he stood, he turned back to her with a small smirk adorning his features. "Obviously you'd rather dance with all those that will squash your feet instead of the one person who won't..."

DG blanched and stood quickly, grabbing his arm. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

* * *

The evening was drawing to a close, and Glitch had taken over the duties of the official photographer. Since he and DG had created their portable camera, he'd rarely had a chance to use it and the photographer that had been hired was all too pleased to give up his duties earlier than his allotted time so he could enjoy the ball and drink.

As he wandered around the great hall, taking both posed and sneaky shots (he particularly enjoyed the ones he took of the drunk nobles as they succumbed to the alcoholic beverages the later it got), he noticed DG leaning drowsily against her sister as she chatted animatedly with Raw, Cain and young duke from neighbouring lands. She wasn't used to dancing for so long, especially with heels, and she hadn't yet built up a tolerance for the alcohol which was stronger than that of the Other Side.

A smirk crept across his face as he lifted the camera up and looked through the viewfinder, pointing it at the little group, and took a few shots. When Cain looked over at DG and realised she was half-asleep, he murmured in Raw's ear. Raw nodded lightly, said something to Azkadellia and the duke, and helped DG to stand, escorting her out of the hall. Cain followed.

So did Glitch.

* * *

When DG woke the next morning, it was to sunlight streaming in through her window and a pounding headache. She groaned pitifully and moved the pillow over her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't remember much from last night, but she'd obviously had enough presence of mind to escape the restrictive dress and change into a nightie.

Two pieces of paper fluttered down from the pillow to rest on the sheets beside her, and she pried her eyes open again. It took a moment to focus but the pictures on the paper slowly became clear and she stared, bemused.

One showed her in Cain's arms, on the dance floor. She was looking down, but it was the expression on his face that caught her attention. He was gazing at her with what could only be described as tenderness. The photographer had obviously caught them unawares, and she frowned, wondering when they had.

She turned her attention to the other. This one was darker, taken much later at night and in the areas of the palace that weren't so well lit. She was in Cain's arms again, but this time he had her bridal-style and her head was tucked under his chin. The photograph had been taken from a vantage-point that was obviously hidden from Cain, as he seemed oblivious of the fact he was on camera.

She stared at it for a moment, lost in thought, before something struck her.

Wait.

Cain _carried_ her to bed?

And if there was no one else around except for the photographer and Cain didn't know about them...

...Then who undressed her?


End file.
